Not just an ordinary day
by Cogito Ergo Sum
Summary: Lucy Knight is All in the Family. This is what she goes through during her last fateful moments in County General.
1. Ignoration Mistake

I'm sorry.  
It's so quiet now you are gone.  
I know I'm the one to blame.  
I didn't pay attention.  
We'll miss you.  
I'm sorry.  
  
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It should have been just another normal working day. Some patients, some charts, some medication. But this day wasn't just an ordinary day. Something went terrible wrong. Sure, it started off nicely. Not too many patients and the residents and medical students all did their thing and didn't have to worry. It was snowing outside and some of the ER doctors had fun with the snow while they were on break. Then a patient came in. He seemed okay and didn't have any visual injuries, so he was placed in a room for some tests. Later that day an old lady came to the ER, suffering from a loss of fluids. There was a car accident which got the ER team on the run. They couldn't save the husband and wife and the couple left their two children. Problems started to pile up as the first patient wasn't doing to well, and psych was backed up. An ER med student had a hard time when the old lady died. The student looked for comfort on the roof of the hospital and another ER doc came to talk and support her. He joked a bit and they settled down, and went back to celebrate that years Valentine Party. The doctor decided to check on his med student because she was taking far too long on that psych patient. And then it happened. So much for February 14, 2000.  
  
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Lucy returned to Curtain three after Carter's annoying speech that she had to get the psych down there now. He made it sound like it was all her fault and that she wasn't doing the best she could. However, she had stayed with her patient all day, supporting him. Carter had told her that other patients were waiting. She knew that, but she didn't feel the urge to grab a chart as she now was devoted to Sobriki. If he indeed was schizophrenic as she thought he was, it could mean her break trough to psychology medicine. "Hey Paul, how are you now? I heard you put on a fight with a school mate. Is that right?" she looked at him, observing him. "They wanted to hurt me!" he yelled without control. Lucy shook her head. "Nobody wants to hurt you Paul, we want to help you." She offered him her Valentine cart. "Here, you can have this. Isn't it pretty?" He looked at her awkwardly. "Valentine?" Lucy nodded. He shook his head and refused to take it. "They all want to hurt me!" he blurted out again. "Who want to hurt you Paul? What are they trying to do?" she sat down next to him. He settled down a bit. "They are going to take my organs." He explained. Lucy raised her eyebrows. Music was filling the ER, the party had started. She wanted to join them, but she couldn't leave Paul. The loud music irritated him. "I can't let them take my organs! I. I got to go!" He wanted to stand up but Lucy made him stay in bed. "Paul, we are not going to take your organs. We only have to do some more tests." he interrupted her, frightening her. "You. you want to take my organs!" he looked at her with a strange fixation. Lucy started to take some distance from him. "I can't let you take my organs!" suddenly he jumped forward. It happened so quickly that Lucy couldn't do anything. She felt a sharp pain hitting her belly. Then she noticed the long knife. She tried to block him and she screamed. The Valentine cart fell on the floor and he stabbed her again. She fell on the cold floor, next to the bed. "Help me!" she screamed. It hurt her as she spoke. The music was too loud for anyone to hear. The shock was overwhelming her. She felt the warm blood running past her head. Paul was still standing there, in front of her. She breathed heavily, her throat made a funny sound. She could feel the pain everywhere and she feared another attack. None came. He moved away from her. She felt some relief. Then he turned the lights off and turned the blinds down. The sudden darkness frightened the weakened girl. She was lying on her belly; her hand was lying in her own blood, apparently flowing from her neck. She made a quick analysis of her current state. She knew she had been stabbed in her belly and neck. There should be more, but her mind was fading so much she couldn't place them. She could feel his presence. She was getting ready to pass out.  
  
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She opened her eyes as she heard a faint sound of the door opening. Could the person entering be her rescuer? She was bleeding to death and she knew that. It was a horrible knowing. Please, please notice me. Don't leave me lying here. she prayed. The man bent down, taking her cart from the floor. She recognised the face. Carter! She opened her mouth to scream to him, to warn him for the danger still in this room. She couldn't make a sound, her body was too weak. Fear overshadowed her heart as she heard him being stabbed. No! Lucy closed her eyes, tears running over her face. She heard a crash cart falling over as he hit the floor. "Somebody!" he yelled. Poor Carter, no body would hear him as the music was flowing trough the room. He landed on the ground and Lucy saw his frightened face. She knew very well what he was going trough. She didn't mind the pain anymore; she was going to die now anyway. She felt sorry for him. She could see the horror in his eyes; those eyes had just faced death. She noticed Sobriki disappeared. She knew she was near passing out. She forced herself to stay awake, to see Carter. He tried to get up, but he was too weak and helplessly fell back on the floor. Then he saw her. His eyes couldn't believe the horror. She looked at him desperately, opening her mouth to scream. "Lucy!" he shouted. The girl felt her eyes turning away and she closed them, finally passing out.  
  
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	2. Gruesome Discovery

In her unconsciousness she thinks about what just happened. What would happen now? She was preparing for death. It frightened her. What if no one would fine them? And how was Carter doing? Was he. dying?  
  
They had been lying there for a long time when Lucy notices the door open and Kerry rushes inside. "Ohhh!" Kerry ran forward. Lucy wanted to scream out to the doctor, but she couldn't respond to anything, in fact she was barely able to follow what happened.  
  
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Lucy knew she was placed on a backboard. She heard people speaking hastily, and she felt the movement. She was rolled onto a gurney.  
  
"Push some tamponade and sucs now!" Kerry's voice. "Stab wound to the left neck and chest, oh man, two more to the belly, right and left upper quadrants." Dave spoke in horror. Kerry yelled commands. "Number eight ET tube! What's her BP?" "Hold on, pulse ox is low, 82!" "That's why I'm tubing her, get me a blood pressure!" "Chest tube tray!" Dave looked horrified.  
  
"No, start a central line," Kerry insisted.  
  
"BP is 90/50!" Kerry thought wisely. "Get me four units of O-neg, hang two on the rapid infuser. Give me some Cricoid pressure!" She tried to intubate Lucy, it took her great effort. "You ok, chief?" Kerry intubates. "I got it! Start the central line now!" "Betadine and a sterile drip!" Dave added. Kerry shook her head in disbelief. "People are having parties while these two are in there, bleeding to death." She sounded very bitterly. The others looked guiltily. Kerry takes a second to peek at the other Trauma room, where Carter is treated. Haleh pulls her mental state back into the room. "Pulse ox is 83."  
  
"Give it a minute. Ten- blade!" Randi enters the room, distraughtly looking at Lucy. "Dr. Weaver, the police are sealing of Curtain 3. They need to talk to anyone who took care of the patient right away." "Handle it, Randi!" Lucy's neck wounds now begin to bleed again. Dave notices. "Look at this! Look at this, Chief!" "Dammit, dammit! Trachel laceration!" "She needs a crike," Dave offers. "No, she needs a trach. Get Benton in here, prep the neck and open a Melker kit, Now, let's go! Let's go!" Haleh leaves the room and enters trauma two. Shortly after, she re-enters with Benton at her side. He trachs Lucy. As soon as he's finished, Chen enters. "Get ready to bag her!" Benton adds. Chen wants his attention. "Dr. Benton, we need you!" Kerry looks at her for a second. "Hook up the thoraseal!" Peter checks Lucy's breathing. "I've got breath sounds" "Dr. Benton!" Chen sounds desperate. Kerry looks at Benton. "Peter!" Chen explains what's wrong. "Carter's got a bad renal lac, foley output's bright red!" Peter curses inside himself. He looks at Haleh. "What's her pulse ox?" "BP's down to 81," she replies. "You got another surgeon comin'?" Kerry shoves him out. "Go, Go!" As Benton leaves, the others try to stabilize Lucy. "Xeroform and an elastoplast." Kerry orders. Luka examines Lucy. "Belly's decended, probably and intra-abdominal bleed." Kerry still doesn't believe how this could happen. "Why wasn't this guy sedated?" Luka shakes his head. "I don't know. Get ultrasound in here!" "Was he on hold? Was there a sitter with him?" Kerry ads. "I don't know Kerry, I never saw him!" "What!?"  
  
Mark and Elizabeth enter the trauma room. "Where are we?" Elizabeth asks. Dave quickly explains. "Multiple stab wounds to the left neck and chest, right and left upper quadrants of the abdomen. We did a chest tube, central line and had to trach her." Elizabeth stays calm. "How much blood loss?" "400 in the thoraseal. Could've been another 2000 before we found her." Kerry answers bitterly. Mark steps in closer and examines Lucy's neck wound. "Ah. That looks deep. How long was the blade?" Suddenly Lucy's monitor begins to bleep heavily. The team quickly reacts. "Pressure's down to 60!" "She needs volume, now!" Elizabeth disagrees. "Maybe not, it could be tamponade, open a thoracotomy tray!" Now Kerry intervenes. "No, wait, check a CVP." Luka shook his head. "Too late, lost her pulse!" "We're in PEA." "Starting compressions." Elizabeth came with the only option. "We need to crack her, prep the chest." Mark agreed. "Ok, amp of epi, sterile gloves please." "We need better exposure. Stab wound is near the midline." Luka ads. "Sternal saw now, Lily, move!" Kerry pours Betadine on Lucy's chest, preparing the girl for the crack. "Go, go, go!" Mark is impatient. "Ultrasound is ready." "In a minute, in a minute." Elizabeth asks for a ten blade. "Ten blade, stand back!" She begins to cut. "Stats are down to 85." Dave looks a bit miserable as Elizabet continues the incision. Everyone watches silently. After she finishes, Kerry begins the sternal saw. Dave looks away, unable to cope with the situation. "Almost got it." Kerry completes the gruesome action. ".Ok!" "Rib spreader!" "Suction!" Luka begins the ultrasound. Dave looks at Lucy's monitor. She goes into ventricullar fibrillation. "V-fib!" "Start internal compressions!" Mark does. "You're right, there is an effusion." Elizabeth takes action. "Metz!" Kerry hands it to her. "Prep the internal paddles." "Pericardium's open!" Elizabeth notifies them. "We've got a major hemorrage here." Mark notices. "More suction!" Kerry looks at the situation. "It's at the proximal aorta..." "Keep your finger on it, Kerry!" she nods. "I need a 4-0 prolene on an r.b- 1 needle now." Elizabeth claims. Luka glances at the ultra sound. "Belly's full of blood, probably got the spleen." Dave quickly responds. "We've gotta cross clamp the aorta!" "One thing at a time!" Elizabeth answers a bit agitated. "Auto-transfuse from the cell saver!" "Charge the paddles to 15!" Elizabeth finishes sewing the hemorrage. She holds out the extra thread. "Cut, cut, cut!" Luka cuts it. Kerry holds the pedals. "Clear!" She shocks Lucy's heart. "We're still in V-fib!" "Another amp of epi!" "Clear!" Lucy is shocked again, the doctors now hear a different beat coming out of the monitor. "Sinus Tach!" "Check the pressure!" "Get a portable monitor, we're moving her up to the OR now." Elizabeth confirms. Kerry gestures to the nurses. "Hang the other units." Dave watches the monitor. "Pulse ox is up to 92." Haleh confirms. "Pressure's 90 systolic." Elizabeth starts to move Lucy's gurney. "Let's go!" The pulse ox cable is still stuck on the machine. Kerry hurries to unplug it. "Pulse ox cable!" They continue rolling towards the elevator. "Is she making urine?" Mark asks. "Only 50 ccs in the foley." "Better than nothing. Let's go!" Elizabeth gestures. "Call the OR, tell them we have an open chest. We'll need a laparotomy." Lily interrupts. "We're still waiting on the type- specific!" "Have the blood bank send it upstairs!" Kerry answers. "Are you putting her on bypass?" Luka asks Elizabeth. "I don't know, have a perfusionist standing by." Kerry is limping forward. "Hold the elevator!" Mark looks at Dave. "Malucci, don't bag so fast, we don't want to make her alkalotic!" "Did he get anyone else?" Luka aksk. "I hope not," Elizabeth replies. "Don't forget the drug box,go!" Kerry gestures for them to board the elevator. Dave and Haleh accompany Elizabeth and Lucy.  
  
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	3. Of All Thousend Words

Here is the third chapter! Please R/R. Go easy on me, I know it's basically been a summary so far, but I want to become a little more original in this chapter, as I intended.  
  
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She knew what had happened. The stabbing. thinking back at that gave her a head ache. If she could feel it since she had been filled with powerful painkillers though. She could remember hearing voices. The voices of Dr. Elizabeth Corday and also the voice of the man who she had never believed would safe her life, Dr. Robert Romano. She probably suffered major injuries. After all she had been stabbed for like what, three or five times? She quietly moaned. How would Carter be doing now? Had he survived? She could hear the beeping of her breathing machine. It became louder with the second. She opened her eyes with a shock.  
  
She first looks in the bright light and she narrowed her eyes immediately. Her lips feel dry. She looks at all the machinery that is keeping her alive. She never imagined how much those machines could mean to a person. In fact, they were the ones handling human lives. And currently, they were handling hers.  
  
"Miss Knight?" Lucy stared up at the person calling her last name. "Good, you're awake. I'll go get Doctor Corday." The face left her eyesight. It was the face of a nurse she had not seen before. Not strange since she hardly came to the OR. She heard the nurse open the OR doors. She could hear a vague "Dr. Corday, She's waking up." And then lots of footsteps. Lucy closed her eyes for a second. Elizabeth had saved her life. Lucy always had great envy for the curled woman. She was happy that Elizabeth would also be the first familiar face she would see again.  
  
"Lucy, can you hear me?" Elizabeth was above her. She looked emotional. No wonder after all the things that must have happened after she and Carter were found, and the tremendous work that Elizabeth and Romano must have done in order to save her life. She looks up at the woman and nods.  
  
"Do you know what happened to you?" What happened? Of course. She got stabbed, bled out and nearly died. She nods again. Elizabeth took a deep breath. "There were several stab wounds, one laceration to your proximal aorta. We had to perform a thoracotomy after you arrested. They gave you a trach to maintain your airway, and brought you to the OR. Your liver was damaged but we were able to repair it. However, we did have to remove your spleen. I'm sorry." Lucy closed her eyes for a second, as if she was hoping that it had all been one big nightmare. The fact that they had to remove her spleen was kind of horrifying. It told Lucy how badly she really had been stabbed. She wanted to tell Elizabeth what happened, what was going through her mind, what had happened to Carter, if she was going to live...  
  
She opened her mouth. "Lucy, you can't speak. You can whisper if I plug the trach. Do you want to try that?" She sounded so calm, so friendly. Lucy nodded. "Okay. Remember, only whisper." Elizabeth plugged the trach. Lucy cleared her throat. "Thank you." The older woman stood there for a moment with so much sorrow on her face. Then she inserted the trach and Lucy took a deep breath.  
  
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Of all the things Lucy had wanted to say, she had to thank Elizabeth. This woman had saved her life, and that was the best thing that a person could ever do for her. Her thoughts went after Carter. How would he be? Would Elizabeth have told her if he was. dead? Probably not. She would ask her as soon as she was better. He hadn't been nice to her, not nice at all today. She didn't blame him for that, she knew that doctors were very preoccupied and they also need to see their own patients, but this time she had gotten really angry with him. And now all this had happened.  
  
Elizabeth's pager starts beeping. "They need me in the OR. I'll be back, Lucy." As Elizabeth leaves for the door, a sharp pain hits Lucy's chest. She closed her eyes as the pain seemed to rip up her chest. It made it hard to breath. She could vaguely hear the sound of her monitor beeping wildly.  
  
"Hold on. Sat's down to 82." A nurse warned Dr. Corday. She was quickly returning to Lucy's bedside. "What is it? Chest pain? Sudden onset?" Yes! Yes! Lucy thought, and she nodded painfully. "Hook her up to 100 percent oxygen. We need to go for a spiral CT." Oh no. Could it be PE? She mouthed the words to Elizabeth. "Yes Lucy, PE is a possibility." Lucy closed her eyes. Not more of this. Not again.  
  
They quickly rolled her to the hallway, where Romano joined them. She recognised his features, even although the pain was killing her. "What's going on?" He sounded worried. Somehow, it made Lucy smile inside. She never believed he could be so sensitive. Sure, he did manage to get her a heart once for a very ill patient, but she had gone trough many obstacles before she finally persuaded him. Now this man was saving her life. "Sudden onset, chest pain. Dropped her sats. We're going to scan her for a pulmonary Embolism." Elizabeth sounded serious. "Bolus 5000 heparin, start a drip at 1000 an hour." She said that to a nurse, Lucy thought. It was hard to follow their conversation because she was rolled towards the elevator, down the hall. For some reason they suddenly stop, but then after a signal from Romano started moving again. He must have said something that Lucy was unable to hear. The next thing she saw was the elevator.  
  
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	4. Saying Goodbye

Chapter four! It's nearly finished... I'm trying to let Lucy's feelings out as good as possible. Please R&R! ^^  
  
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Her pain drops as the medicine sets in. She can hear the ping from the elevator doors and they roll her out. They now were heading for the X-ray room. The nurse kept checking on her stats and took a close guard as Lucy was being scanned by the machine. Then she was placed on the side, awaiting the options.  
  
Dr. Corday and Romano study her X-rays. "There, right pulmonary artery," Elizabeth points at one of the pictures. Romano nods. "Yep, get angiography down here for a filter. I'll meet you there. Get the room ready." He leaves the room. A nurse bends over Lucy. She smiles friendly. Lucy thought her name was Kit. The nurse checked her bandage. "Chest and abdominal dressings are soaked through." Elizabeth walked up to them. "Watch her BP, and send off a hematocrit." She now turned to Lucy. "Ok, there's a little oozing from the incision. That happens with heparin. Your blood pressure's fine and there's no major hemorrage. But Lucy, the CT shows a pulmonary embolism."  
  
Lucy felt as if she got struck by the lightening. PE. Her worst nightmare. She looks up at Elizabeth. "Don't worry, we're taking you to angiography. We'll put in a Greenfield filter, we'll reverse the heparin. However, you might need to have another transfusion." Lucy closes her eyes for a brief second. This isn't happening. "Lucy, are you with me?" She opens her eyes again and looks at Elizabeth. She nods, although she is really afraid. "I'll get you through this, all right?" Elizabeth strokes her hair and Lucy feels tears coming in her eyes. She doesn't want all this. Why did it have to happen? Why? Why didn't Carter check out on her sooner, or listen to her judgements? Why did he have to be so ignorant? For the first time she got angry with him. If he had paid attention, none of this would've happened. Then they would be at the Valentine party now, having fun. Instead, she was here, bleeding out and with her chest cut trough. It wasn't fair. She sobbed and Elizabeth gently strokes her hair out of her face.  
  
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A few minutes later she's wheeled into the Angiography. She doesn't feel so sure about this. There are so many complications already, so many things to fix.  
  
Kit glances at the monitor. "BP's 112/78, pulse 102." Elizabeth secures the bed and looks at the nurse. "AP 14, tidal volume 600. 100 percent FIO 2. Another 2 of versed." She looks at Lucy. "It's just to relax you a bit during the procedure." Lucy thinks quickly and then gestures to Elizabeth, mouthing the words. "You want to stay awake?" Lucy nods in reply. "Ok, ok. I'm going to numb the inguinal area with lidocaine and introduce a catheter into the femoral vein."  
  
Lucy hears a door open and a second later she hears Romano's voice. "I'll prep, get gowned." He must have said that to Elizabeth. The woman hesitated. "Spun crit is 32." Romano waves her away. "Good, go." Elizabeth bites her lip. "I'll be back Lucy." Lucy follows the red haired woman with her eyes until she is out of sight. Elizabeth had done amazing things, Lucy knew she had done the good thing by thanking her for it.  
  
Robert Romano is preparing for the examination. "Don't worry Ms. Knight. We've put far too much time and energy in your training to lose you now. Greenfield filters are a snap. I've done about a hundred of them. I'll talk you through it if you like." Lucy lifts her eyebrows. He was still his old self, joking like that. She could sense the humour. She blinked as she started to feel light in her head, as if she was flying or some sort. She closes her eyes.  
  
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After two hours, medical student Lucy Knight is pronounced dead. Elizabeth and Romano had done everything they could possibly do, but it had not been enough. Lucy's time had come, weather it was the time or not, she had died. Doctor Kerry Weaver placed the sheet over Lucy's head. The ER was in mourning. 


End file.
